Hector Luis Mercardo, aka Jesus Rivera Carmona, was arrested by police on St. Croix Tuesday and charged in the murder of a 39-year-old man in Christiansted.
It was the 22nd homicide on St. Croix in 2010, the 48th in the territory.
Police apprehended the 30-year-old Mercado just hours after the homicide occurred Tuesday morning.
According to the report, 911 dispatchers received a call of a possible injured person lying on the sidewalk in the vicinity of the United Shopping Plaza in Christiansted.
Emergency Medical Technicians arrived at the scene and saw at least one wound to the top of the man’s head but could not find any signs of life.
Police are not releasing any additional information about the victim pending the notification of next of kin.
St. Croix Police Chief Oakland Benta said police have also linked Mercardo, along with another “person of interest,” to a string of armed robberies in Christiansted. Additional charges will be brought against Mercado in connection with the robberies, Benta said.
Chief Benta credited community residents for the capture of Mercardo. He said residents assisted police in identifying and locating the suspect.
